Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40481391›Full record

SynthesisBMC gastroenterology2025

Prognostic value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Qingtian Zhou, Zewen Jiang, Tingting Ye, Li Yu, Qinglian Wang, Pin Lin, Yanfeng Shao

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Hyperprogressive disease in carcinoma induced by immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a systematic review.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Qingtian ZhouDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicinee, No. 363, Guobin Avenue, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Zewen JiangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team of the Chinese PLA, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Tingting YeDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicinee, No. 363, Guobin Avenue, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Li YuDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicinee, No. 363, Guobin Avenue, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Qinglian WangDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicinee, No. 363, Guobin Avenue, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Pin LinDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicinee, No. 363, Guobin Avenue, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Yanfeng ShaoDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicinee, No. 363, Guobin Avenue, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China. jxmipsen@163.com.

Funding

Fujian Provincial Health Commission,China 20231163Wellcome Trust 202356
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe prognostic significance of the Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains uncertain. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prognostic value of PLR in HCC patients receiving ICIs.

methodsPotential eligible studies that explored the role of pretreatment PLR in HCC patients received ICIs treatment were retrieved using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases up to March 31, 2024. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the study quality. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to investigate the correlation between PLR and both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Subgroup analysis along with assessments for publication bias and sensitivity were performed to identify any sources of heterogeneity and to confirm the reliability of the pooled outcomes.

resultsA total of 15 studies were analyzed, with the aggregate findings showing that elevated PLR levels were associated with poorer OS (HR: 1.79, 95%CI: 1.44-2.22, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR: 1.80, 95%CI: 1.40-2.30, P < 0.001) in HCC patients treated with ICIs. Moreover, the subgroup analyses did not alter the direction of results for OS and PFS. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis revealed that there was no significant publication bias among the articles and the pooled results were robust.

conclusionThese results show that elevated PLR is related to worse survival in patients with HCC treated with ICIs. PLR may therefore represent an effective indicator of prognosis in HCC undergoing ICIs treatment.

trial registrationThis study is registered with the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY202450079).

Indexed as

Blood PlateletsCarcinoma, HepatocellularImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsLiver NeoplasmsHumansLymphocyte CountLymphocytesPlatelet CountPrognosisProgression-Free SurvivalImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsHepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsMetaPlatelet–to–Lymphocyte ratioPrognosis

Identifiers

PMID40481391
PMCPMC12144809

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.